The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-03-24
DHFENDINe CONGRESS,
Senator Vest Replies TO the Charges Of
Congressman Reed.

Congressman Reed.
NEW YORK, March 81 Senator George
@. Vest Of Missouri has been spending
several days In town, undergoing treat.
ment for his eyes. The senator said
that time hung rather heavy on bis
hands. His physician had forbidden bis
reading, "and," he added, II cannot
drink anything but tea, coffee and water
and that's pretty hard on a western
man." Speaking Of the work Of the last
congress, Mr.. Vest said: II saw In the
Tribune several days since an interview
with Thomas B. Reed Of Maine, which
seemed to assume that the people Of the
United States were utterly ignorant of
what had been done by the fOrty-ninth
congress or unable to understand the
meaning Of public events. Mr.. Reed
complains that congress has not reduced
the treasury surplus, provided for the
defense Of our seabOard or admitted
three great states In the northwest. ALI
this he charges to the inCspaciiN0f the
Democratic party. Mr.. Reed
RoRGETs TO MENTION
That an overwhelming majority of the
Democrats In Congress favored the re-
ductiOn Of the surplus, and to that end
attempted to renew the consideration Of
tariff reform In the House, but when, to
quote his words, they marched up the
hill' twice under the leadership Of Mr..
Morrison they found Mr.. Reed with his
Republican followers, reinforced by the
Randall contingent, impregnably In
trenched at the top. and were unable
even to have the tariff question cOnsid-
cred. Mr.. Reed and his party were
pledged to reform Of the tariff. Did he
think that the vote not to consider any
measure looking to such reform was q
compliance with that pledge2 This is a
pertinent question and until Mr.. Reed
answers 1t he has DO right to complain
about not reducing the surplus
"As to national defense. the inqurlDg
mind Is disposed to ask, Whence comes
this sudden zeal for q navy and fortifica-
tiOns? Mr.. Reed and his party had ab-
sOlute control of the government from
1861 to 1874. At no time since 1861 have
the Democrats had possession Of the
government, the Republicans
HAVING NEVER LOST CONTROL
Since 1851 OF botf branches Of Congress
and the Presidency. Since 1865, when
the war closed, and up to CleVeland's
election the Republican party wasted
upon the navy, so called, and f0rtitica'
tiOns more than $400. .000,O 600, and to day,
according to all reports, our seabOaTd
Is defenseless and we have but one war
vessel tit for service Out Of this
enormous amount sduandered by Re-
publican msladministratiO $4,000 900
were for building ships and repairing
those already built. OF this Mr.. Reed
says nothing, but finds all at once that
we are without a navy or Notifications.
The truth is, and the country under
stands 1t, that Mr.. Reed and his party
have sought, ever since Mr.. Cleveland's
election, to swell governmental expsndi.
lures In every way possible, so as to
sustain the charge Of extravaganza
against the Democrats In the next Con.
gress. ALI sorts Of jobs and schemes
have been urged and supported by the
Republican leaders In Congress to get
money out Of the treasury, but always
without reducing taxes, and especially
without distuI blng
THE PRESENT WAR TARIFF,
Which they sOlemnly pledged them
selves at Chicago to resdjust and re-
form.
"Mr. Reeds charge about keeping out
OF the Union three great States In the
northwest and refusing the right Of self
government, ETC., Is absurd. The Repub-
licans In the Senate insisted that Ds
kOts should be divided by line run.
ming east and west, the northern part to
be organized as q territory and the
southern part to be admitted as State.
There are two parties In Dakota, the one
for this scheme and the other for ad.
mitting the whole territory as o State
without division, and the Democrats In
the Senate proposed either that an en-
abling act should be passed authorizing
the people Of the territory to adopt q
State constitution and apply for admis.
sion under 1t, or to submit the question
to the people for or against division.
Not Democrat In the Senate opposed
the admission Of Dakota as whole, but
We did not believe the territory should
be divided. nor did we propose to recOg-
H!Z4 the illegal and revolutionary State
government set up In southern Dakota
In defiance Of the federal government
and In direct violation of the constitu-
tiOn. The Republicans
VOTED DOWN EVERY PROPOSITION
Submitting the question of division to
the people, and then voted down an
amendment admitting Montana also as
q State. They believed that by dividing
Dakota the Republican party would
secure four Senators and two Members
Of the House, with six votes In the
electoral college, but they had no idea
of admitting Montana, because 1t Is q
Democratic territory. The whole trans
action was essentially partisan, and SO
great was the party zeal which con-
trOlled the action of the Republican
majority In the Senate that
they admitted to seats upon the floor
two gentlemen claiming to have been
elected Senators by the revolution
ary State Legislature Of southern Da.
kOta, and not one word was uttered In
the debate by any Republican Senator
against that unauthorized movement.
We are informed by the papers that 1t
is still progressing openly and defiantly.
what would Mr.. Reed and his party
say II any Democratic community had
inaugurated such actiOnp We can Inn
agine the torrents Of elOquencp which
would make the halls Of Congress re-
sound In denunCiation Of this second
rebellion It is a great pity that Mr..
Reed f0rgets the facts as shown by
the Congressional Record, and 1t will
be q greater pity IL they are forgotten
BY the people,"
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